


Never Let Me Go

by Liviee92



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-17
Updated: 2014-07-17
Packaged: 2018-02-09 07:05:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1973454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liviee92/pseuds/Liviee92
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rumplestiltskin goes missing, and Belle nearly loses her mind, but as Hatter says, "There is hope yet."  </p>
<p>A birthday present for ddagent from years back.  Finally posting it here.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Let Me Go

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ddagent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ddagent/gifts).



“Look,” Jefferson says, trying his hardest not to snap. “I know this woman. And she wouldn’t come to you unless she absolutely believed that something was wrong. Her husband is missing.” 

“I understand that,” the fill-in deputy snaps – where are Emma and Ruby when you need them? “But until twenty-four hours passes – and until Sheriff Swan gets back, there isn’t anything I can do. I’m sorry.” 

Jefferson sighs, grits his teeth, and turns away from the deputy to check on the woman sitting in the chair outside the sheriff’s office. Belle’s head is practically between her knees; her fingers are tangled in the auburn mess of her curls. She’s breaking, ever so slowly, piece by piece. 

And Jefferson will be damned if he’s going to stand by and watch. 

“Fine,” he snarls at the deputy, teeth bared in a silent threat. “But expect us back tomorrow.” \---- 

“Hatter, can you get me the broom, please?” Belle says, as she crunches over the Cheerios that litter the kitchen floor and lifts Clara from her high chair. 

“Here, Belle,” Hatter says, as he hands her the broom and takes Clara from her arms. “Clara and I are going to pick Grace up from school. Want me to call Emma to come stay? Or Ruby?” 

“Twenty-four hours, Jefferson,” Belle murmurs, her blue eyes shining with tears. “They’re not back yet… Dammit!” The broom falls from Belle’s trembling hands and clatters to the floor. Clara whimpers, but she doesn’t cry, and Jefferson is grateful. Because Jefferson knows what little Clara is too young to understand, and it’s killing him. 

Her daddy is missing, and her mother is breaking, ever so slowly, piece by piece. 

Jefferson pulls Belle to him, and her head fits right under his chin. “Why don’t you come with me, sweetheart? Grace would love to see you. Take a break, all right? For me?” 

Belle nods haltingly, wipes at her azure blue eyes with the back of her hand, and Jefferson shoots her one of his old Hatter smiles. Belle stifles a laugh, smacks his arm. “Stop! You’re scaring my daughter!” 

But Clara laughs right along with her mother, and Jefferson can only think one thing. 

If Gold cannot come home to his beautiful family, then the world truly is a cruel place. \---- 

Things happen while her love is missing. 

Clara says her first word. 

She looks right at Jefferson and says, “Da,” and Belle vomits, ruins the carpet. 

Jefferson looks just as sick, but there is nothing he can say. So he doesn’t. 

Clara starts walking. 

She doesn’t need help, either. She pushes up and toddles around as if she’s been doing it all her life. 

Belle has to call David, because Hatter doesn’t know a thing about toddler proofing. 

The prince murmurs something about a search party, as he hugs Belle on his way out. Belle nods into his shoulder, sniffling to keep the tears at bay. James presses a kiss to her forehead in a final farewell. 

“He’ll come home,” he murmurs. “He’s Rumplestiltskin. He’ll come home.” 

Belle nods, and the prince smiles ever so slightly. “You’re a family, Belle,” he says. “And family always finds one another. \---- 

The search party does find something. A body. 

“We found the body…” 

The phone falls to the floor, as Belle’s knees give way. 

Jefferson must catch her, but she doesn’t feel. 

Doesn’t feel anything. \---- 

The ride to the hospital is long – long and silent. Jefferson holds her hand to stop her shaking, but he doesn’t say anything. Just drives. 

The walk to the morgue is even longer. Blood pounds in Belle’s ears, and she can barely open her mouth to tell Jefferson, “I want to do this alone.” 

Bless Hatter. He doesn’t protest; merely murmurs, “I’ll be right here,” and takes a step back. 

Belle has to remind herself to breathe as she stares at the white sheet, but then she’s breathing too fast. 

Because the body – thank the gods – the body does not belong to her husband. She covers her mouth, shakes her head frantically, and somehow manages to run out of the morgue and into the hallway where Hatter is waiting. 

Her best friend’s face loses all color, and he rises tentatively to his feet. “Belle…?” 

The princess, clad in jeans and one of her lover’s too-big shirts, shakes her head. “N – N – Not h – him, Hatter.” 

Jefferson closes the distance between them, and Belle breaks against his purple dress shirt, so similar to the one she wears. 

“Shh, Belle,” Jefferson murmurs. “Shh. It wasn’t him. He’s still alive. Still fighting. There is hope yet.” Hope yet. \---- 

When they get home, they find Mary-Margaret reading a book on the sofa, while Clara and Grace receive piggy back rides from a very familiar-looking stranger. 

Snow looks up from her book when Belle and Hatter enter the living room, her eyes wide, expectant. “It wasn’t…? 

“No,” Jefferson says softly, as Belle shakes her head, and the young warrior-princess sighs in relief. 

“Oh, good. He’s still out there, and –“ She smiles, motions to the rather lively party in the corner of the room. “You’ll never guess who’s here.” 

At this, the stranger raises his head, and Belle gasps, a hand going to her mouth. 

The stranger grins, and stands up, two little girls still clinging to his back. “Hi, Mama.” 

Belle runs at him, wraps her arms around him, and suddenly her emotions are overflowing again. “Bae,” she sobs. “Oh, Bae.” 

Her step-son doesn’t shush her or placate her. He simply holds her, holds her as if his embrace will glue her back together if he wishes and holds hard enough. 

“I’ll find him, Mama,” he whispers fiercely. “Even if I have to rip this town apart all over again, I’ll bring Papa home.” 

She believes him. \---- 

Bless him, Bae comes through. 

Belle gets the call weeks later, in the middle of the night. 

“Come to the hospital. We’ve found your husband.” Belle calls Hatter to come stay with Clara and goes to the hospital. 

She runs to the hospital. 

She flies down corridors. 

She grows wings. 

She catches sight of him standing at the end of the hospital’s emergency corridor. He’s barely moving, eyes on the floor, hand on a hospital-issued cane. He looks so helpless. 

Until his eyes meet hers. 

His lip trembles, and he hobbles forward a few steps. “Hi, dearie,” 

Belle bites her lip against the tears that threaten to overflow. “Say that again.” 

Rumple smiles, and a tear escapes his eye. “Dearie.” 

Belle runs at him, and her arms wrap around him like a memory. “Are you okay?” 

Rumple’s newly-acquired beard tickles her cheek. “I am now, love.” 

Belle heaves a sob. “I’m never letting you go anywhere ever again, Rumplestiltskin,” she says fiercely. 

And Rumplestiltskin smiles. “I think I’m just fine right here, dearie. Right here with you.”


End file.
